Canoe-trailer for motor-vehicles



D. B. WOODR-UFF.

CANOE TRAILER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. 1320.

1,376,496. Patented y3,1 21- WITNESSES INVENTOR D.B Wbodrufdfi A TI'ORNEYS UNITED STATES D WIGH'I. BRYCE WOODRUFF, OF OLATHE, COLORADO.

CANOE-TRAILER FOB MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented May 3, 1921.

Application filed June 5, 1920. Serial No. 386,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT BRYCE WOOD- RUFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Olathe, in the county of Montrose and State of Colorado, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canoe Trailers for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in canoe trailers for motor vehicles, and has for its object to provide mechanism of the character specified by means of which a canoe may be converted into a wheeled vehicle of the trailer type and connected to the rear of a motor vehicle to be drawn thereby.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side view of the improved trailer;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section at the wheels;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of .the clamp and saddle for mounting the spring on the axle;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detall view of the connection of the yoke to the gunwale.

In the present embodiment of the invention a pair of wheels 1 is provided, arranged in the present instance on the ends of an axle-2, the said axle being an arched or sprung axle, as shown, that is, having the spindles offset u wardly from the bodyof the axle. The ax e carries near each end a clamp 3, which clamps are. securely fixed to the axle, and a saddle 4 is provided in connection with each clamp, each saddle being engaged by an elliptical spring 5. The springs are arranged with their lanes in vertical position, and at the top 0 each spring there is a combined yoke and clamp 6.

Each of these combined yokes and clamps 6 consists of a body which is fastened to the center of the top member of the elliptical spring by means of a bolt 7 as shown, and the arms of the yoke engage beneath the gunwale 8 of the canoe, indicated at 9. Each arm of the yoke is connected to the gunwale by means of a bolt 10 which passes through the yoke arm and through the gunwale and is enga d b a wing nut 11 above the gunwale. T e yo es 6 are arranged at the center of the canoe, and are in line sition. p When the canoe 1s connected up as a trailer, as shown in Fig. 1, a connection is I provided. in the form of a universal joint, one member 12 of which is connected to the canoe, while the other member 13 is connected to the vehicle 14 which is to drag the trailer. The member 12 of the universal joint has branches 15 which fit on opposite sides of the bow of the canoe, and'these branches are secured to the canoe through the bang plate and knee. The universal joint permits u ward movement of the ends of the canoe w1th respect to the motor vehicle and also permits lateral movement, it being understood that the member 13 is a rigid member.

The canoe may be loaded with camp equippage and the like and connected to the vehicle, and a water-tight and dust-proof cover 16 is preferably arranged over the canoe, the cover being secured to the canoe in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by the fasteners indicated at 17. The wheels 1 have pneumatic tires, as shown, and the cushioning action of the tires, together with that of the springs 5, eliminates all injurious shocks and jars. 1

Any canoe may be converted into a trailer merely by adding the connection 12 and connecting the wheels.

I claim:

In a' device of the character described, means for converting a canoe into a trailer comprising an axle, a pair of wheels carr1ed by said axle, a pair of springs arranged upon said axle, means for securing each of said springs upon the axle including a clamp engaged with the spring and the axle and havin a saddle upon which the f spring is seate means coacting with said springs for supporting the canoe, including arms secured to the springs and offset in- .wardly, and means for connecting the arms to the gunwale of the canoe including bolts passing through the arms and through the gunwale and winged nuts threaded upon the bolts. A

- DWIGHT BRYCE WOODRUFF. 

